A report found that young people in their 20s are more likely to not have jobs because they are sick compared to people in their 40s. This is new because, in the past, older people were the ones usually not working because of sickness. The report says that many young people feel very sad or worried, which makes it hard for them to go to school or find jobs. In 2023, 5% of young people didn’t have jobs because they were sick.

The report also says that young people who didn’t go to college and young women are having a tougher time. Many young people who are not working because they are sick only finished school until they were 16. The report suggests that schools and colleges should help students feel better and do better in their studies. This is important so that young people can find good jobs and be healthy.

People who care about health say that having a good job and education helps people stay healthy. They are worried that if we don’t help young people feel better, many of them will have a hard time in the future. They also say that things like social media make young people feel worse because they worry too much about what others think. The report uses information from a big survey, and even though this survey is not being done anymore, the report’s findings are still considered important.

Original news source: More people in early 20s out of work from ill health than early 40s – study (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs or small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Have them read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. Then, ask each group to share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: “Do you think schools and colleges should do more to help students feel better and do better in their studies?” Have the students individually write down their opinion and a short explanation. Then, divide the class into pairs or small groups and have them discuss their opinions. After the discussion, conduct a class poll by asking each student to raise their hand for their opinion (e.g. “Raise your hand if you think schools and colleges should do more to help students”). Count the number of hands for each opinion and discuss the results as a class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board (e.g. report, sick, worried, college, survey). Divide the class into teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word from the list. Without speaking, they must draw a picture on the board to represent the word. The rest of their team must guess the word within a certain time limit (e.g. 1 minute). The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Write a list of words from the article on the board (e.g. young, jobs, sick, worried, college). Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a set of index cards or small pieces of paper. Their task is to write down as many synonyms for each word as they can within a certain time limit (e.g. 2 minutes per word). After the time limit, have each group share their lists with the class and discuss any new synonyms they discovered.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Ask each group to discuss and make predictions about the future based on the information in the article. For example, “In the future, do you think more young people will have jobs or be unemployed because of sickness?” Have them write down their predictions and reasons. Then, ask each group to share their predictions with the class and have a class discussion about the different possibilities.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What does the report say about young people in their 20s and jobs?
2. In the past, who were the ones usually not working because of sickness?
3. How do many young people feel, according to the report?
4. In 2023, what percentage of young people didn’t have jobs because they were sick?
5. Who is having a tougher time, according to the report?
6. What does the report suggest schools and colleges should do?
7. Why do people who care about health think having a good job and education is important?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A report found that young people in their 20s are more likely to not have jobs because they are sick (1)______ to people in their 40s. This is new because, in the past, older people were the ones usually not working because of (2)______. The report says that (3)______ young people feel very sad or worried, which makes it hard for them to go to school or find jobs. In 2023, 5% of (4)______ people didn’t have jobs because they were sick.

The report also says that young people who didn’t go to college and young women are (5)______ a tougher time. Many young people who are not working because they are sick only finished school until they were 16. The report (6)______ that schools and colleges should help (7)______ feel better and do better in their studies. This is important so that young people can find good jobs and be (8)______.

People who care about health say that having a good job and education helps people stay healthy. They are (9)______ that if we don’t help young people feel better, many of them will have a hard time in the (10)______. They also say that things like social media make young people feel worse because they worry too much about what (11)______ think. The report uses information from a big survey, and even though this survey is not being (12)______ anymore, the report’s findings are still considered important.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is the report about?
2. Why do you think young people in their 20s are more likely to not have jobs because they are sick compared to people in their 40s?
3. How would you feel if you couldn’t go to school or find a job because you were sad or worried?
4. Do you think it’s fair that young people who didn’t go to college and young women are having a tougher time? Why or why not?
5. What do you think schools and colleges can do to help students feel better and do better in their studies?
6. Why do people who care about health think having a good job and education helps people stay healthy?
7. How do you think social media can make young people feel worse? Do you worry too much about what others think?
8. What do you think about the report’s findings? Do you think they are important?
9. How do you think young people who are not working because they are sick can find good jobs and be healthy?
10. Do you agree with the report’s suggestion that schools and colleges should help students feel better and do better in their studies? Why or why not?
11. What can we do to help young people feel better and have an easier time in the future?
12. Do you think it’s important to listen to young people’s concerns about their health and well-being? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. report
2. likely
3. compared
4. past
5. worried
6. college
7. suggests
8. studies
9. education
10. healthy
11. social media
12. survey

Meanings:
(A) Feeling nervous or scared about what might happen
(B) Looked at or judged in relation to something else
(C) Time that has already happened
(D) Advises or recommends doing something
(E) A study where people are asked questions to collect information
(F) Not sick and feeling good
(G) Probably will happen or is expected
(H) Information collected and given about a topic
(I) Learning in schools, colleges, or universities
(J) Websites and apps where people share things and talk to each other
(K) Learning or researching about different subjects
(L) A place where you can learn after high school
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. According to the report, who is more likely to not have jobs because they are sick?
(a) Young people in their 20s
(b) Older people in their 40s
(c) Young people in their 30s
(d) Older people in their 60s

2. What is the percentage of young people who didn’t have jobs because they were sick in 2023?
(a) 10%
(b) 5%
(c) 15%
(d) 20%

3. Who is having a tougher time finding jobs because they are sick, according to the report?
(a) Young people who didn’t go to college
(b) Young people who finished school until they were 16
(c) Young people who finished college
(d) Young people who finished school until they were 18

4. What does the report suggest schools and colleges should do to help young people?
(a) Give more homework to students
(b) Help students feel better and do better in their studies
(c) Make school and college more difficult
(d) Stop offering support to students

5. What do people who care about health say helps people stay healthy?
(a) Having a lot of money
(b) Having a big house
(c) Having a good job and education
(d) Having many friends

6. What do people worry about if young people don’t feel better?
(a) They will become rich
(b) They will become famous
(c) They will have a lot of friends
(d) They will have a hard time in the future

7. What makes young people feel worse, according to the report?
(a) Going to school
(b) Having a job
(c) Talking to friends
(d) Social media

8. What is the source of information for the report?
(a) Interviews with young people
(b) Information from the government
(c) A big survey
(d) Information from doctors

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. A recent report found that young people in their 20s are more likely to be unemployed due to illness compared to older people.
2. In the past, it was usually older people who couldn’t work because of sickness, but now it’s less common among young people.
3. Health experts are pleased that if young people don’t receive support to feel better, they may face difficulties in the future. They also believe that social media can contribute to young people feeling better because of excessive worry about others’ opinions.
4. The report states that many young people feel happy or relaxed, which makes it difficult for them to go to school or find jobs.
5. The report shows that young people who didn’t go to college and young women are facing more challenges in finding employment due to illness.
6. Many young people who are not working because they are sick only finished school until they were 16.
7. The report suggests that schools and colleges should hinder students feel better and perform better in their studies to improve their chances of finding good jobs and staying healthy.
8. In 2023, 5% of young people were unemployed because they were sick.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did a report find about young people in their 20s and their jobs?
2. Why is it new that young people are not working because of sickness?
3. How do many young people feel, according to the report?
4. Who is having a tougher time finding jobs because of sickness?
5. What do people who care about health say can help young people stay healthy?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. The report says that young people in their 20s are more likely to not have jobs because they are sick.
2. In the past, older people were the ones usually not working because of sickness.
3. According to the report, many young people feel sad or worried.
4. In 2023, 5% of young people didn’t have jobs because they were sick.
5. The report says that young people who didn’t go to college and young women are having a tougher time.
6. The report suggests that schools and colleges should help students feel better and do better in their studies.
7. People who care about health think having a good job and education is important because it helps people stay healthy.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) compared
(2) sickness
(3) many
(4) young
(5) having
(6) suggests
(7) students
(8) healthy
(9) worried
(10) future
(11) others
(12) done
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. report
Answer: (H) Information collected and given about a topic

2. likely
Answer: (G) Probably will happen or is expected

3. compared
Answer: (B) Looked at or judged in relation to something else

4. past
Answer: (C) Time that has already happened

5. worried
Answer: (A) Feeling nervous or scared about what might happen

6. college
Answer: (L) A place where you can learn after high school

7. suggests
Answer: (D) Advises or recommends doing something

8. studies
Answer: (K) Learning or researching about different subjects

9. education
Answer: (I) Learning in schools, colleges, or universities

10. healthy
Answer: (F) Not sick and feeling good

11. social media
Answer: (J) Websites and apps where people share things and talk to each other

12. survey
Answer: (E) A study where people are asked questions to collect information
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. According to the report, who is more likely to not have jobs because they are sick?
Answer: (a) Young people in their 20s

2. What is the percentage of young people who didn’t have jobs because they were sick in 2023?
Answer: (b) 5%

3. Who is having a tougher time finding jobs because they are sick, according to the report?
Answer: (a) Young people who didn’t go to college

4. What does the report suggest schools and colleges should do to help young people?
Answer: (b) Help students feel better and do better in their studies

5. What do people who care about health say helps people stay healthy?
Answer: (c) Having a good job and education

6. What do people worry about if young people don’t feel better?
Answer: (d) They will have a hard time in the future

7. What makes young people feel worse, according to the report?
Answer: (d) Social media

8. What is the source of information for the report?
Answer: (c) A big survey
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. A recent report found that young people in their 20s are more likely to be unemployed due to illness compared to older people. (Answer: True)
2. In the past, it was usually older people who couldn’t work because of sickness, but now it’s less common among young people. (Answer: False)
3. Health experts are pleased that if young people don’t receive support to feel better, they may face difficulties in the future. They also believe that social media can contribute to young people feeling better because of excessive worry about others’ opinions. (Answer: False)
4. The report states that many young people feel happy or relaxed, which makes it difficult for them to go to school or find jobs. (Answer: False)
5. The report shows that young people who didn’t go to college and young women are facing more challenges in finding employment due to illness. (Answer: True)
6. Many young people who are not working because they are sick only finished school until they were 16. (Answer: True)
7. The report suggests that schools and colleges should hinder students feel better and perform better in their studies to improve their chances of finding good jobs and staying healthy. (Answer: False)
8. In 2023, 5% of young people were unemployed because they were sick. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧